Hero cop Inspector Amy Scott and ‘bollard men' to give evidence during inquest into Bondi attack
Construction workers crowned national heroes after they wielded bollards at killer Joel Cauchi during the Westfield Bondi Junction attack will give evidence along with Inspector Amy Scott in the first week of a coronial inquest into the tragedy.
It has been more than a year since Dawn Singleton, Yixuan Cheng, Faraz Ahmed Tahir, Ashlee Good, Jade Young and Pikria Darchia were all killed in the attack, in which Cauchi, 40, stabbed 16 people in less than three minutes.
French construction workers Silas Desperaux and Damien Guerot were applauded for their bravery during the fatal attack on April 13, 2023, after they followed Cauchi through the shopping centre with bollards.
Haunting CCTV footage captured the moment Mr Guerot stood at the top of an escalator brandishing a bollard, just metres away from a knife-wielding Cauchi.
The pair last year told 9 NEWS they followed Cauchi before Mr Guerot attempted to throw the bollard at the 40-year-old at the escalators, missing him.
They then found Inspector Scott, with footage showing Mr Guerot running behind her with a chair in the moments before she fatally shot Cauchi.
Mr Guerot and Mr Desperaux were quickly dubbed 'bollard men' and widely praised for their bravery, with talks of granting Mr Guerot permanent residency quickly catching the attention of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year following reports his visa was due to expire.
Mr Albanese said Mr Guerot was welcome to stay in Australia as long as he liked while thanking him for his 'extraordinary bravery'.
He said Mr Guerot was 'someone who we would welcome becoming an Australian citizen, although that would of course be a loss for France'.
Mr Guerot and Mr Desperaux are both expected to give evidence in court during the first week of the coronial inquest into the fatal attack.
The inquest is expected to span five weeks from April 28 and May 30.
Inspector Scott has also been listed as a witness for the first week of the inquest.
The police officer single-handedly followed Cauchi through the centre and shot him dead.
A court previously heard she had asked him to stop and drop his weapon after he began to charge at her. She shot him twice when he failed to do so.
Cauchi's parents later said they had 'no issues with the police officer who shot (their) son, as she was only doing her job to protect others and we hope she is coping alright' in a statement released by Queensland Police last year.
Whether the force used by Inspector Scott was 'justified, reasonable and appropriate' will be examined in the inquest, as well as the response of NSW Police.
This includes when NSW Police first became aware of an active armed offender (AAO), their response to emergency calls, and communications between the police force, NSW Ambulance and staff from Scentre Group, who operate a string of Westfields across Australia including Bondi Junction.
Evacuation instructions given by NSW Police, any impediments to the response of the police force, and the organisation and implementation of a command structure at the centre are also listed on an issues list for the inquest.
NSW Police Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks APM, who was the senior critical incident investigator and officer in charge of the force at the time, will be called as a witness this week.
Forward commander and senior police officer Chief Inspector Christopher Whalley, NSW Ambulance critical care paramedic Christopher Wilkinson, a NSW Ambulance special operations team paramedic, and NSW Ambulance Director of Controls Centre Assistant Commissioner Brent Armitage — who were all present on the day of the attack — are also slated to give evidence.
The nature and timing of NSW Ambulance's response to the attack is set to be explored, including the response to emergency calls, how and when they became aware of the events at Westfield Bondi Junction, any impediments to their response, and the declaration of the centre as a 'hot zone'.
The adequacy of policies and procedures for AAOs and/or mass casualty events - including whether they were complied with - as treatment decisions and first aid provided, and whether paramedics had appropriate equipment to respond to a mass casualty incident will also be probed.
Other key issues to be explored in the five-week inquest include Cauchi's state of mind before the fatal attack and on the day, as well as whether he targeted any particular individuals and groups.
The nature, timing, and adequacy of the response by Scentre Group and its subcontractors Glad Group and Falkon Security will also be examined in the inquest.
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